Palace Green Library

Founded in 1833 and occupying listed buildings within the Durham World Heritage site, the Palace Green Library of Durham University houses archives, early printed books and other special collections. The Library has two exhibition spaces: the Wolfson Gallery, which regularly exhibits treasures from all of the university's heritage collections and the prestigious, newly opened ( June 2012) Dunelm Gallery.

There are: Over 70,000 books printed before 1850 including 300 incunables; over 100 Medieval manuscripts; 3,400 metres of archives and artefacts; over 30,000 maps and prints and 100,000 photographs. We are open to anyone needing to consult our collections. New users will be required to fill out a short registration form.

Two of the University Library's special collections, the Bishop Cosin's Library and the Sudan Archive, were awarded Designated Collection of national importance status in 2005 in the first round of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council Designation Scheme.

Additional info

Wheelchair access to all public areas ,though subject to disruption from ongoing building work. Please check Library website: pg.library@durham.ac.uk or call 191 334 2932 on the day you intend to visit.

The Bishop Cosin's Library and the Sudan Archive are Designated Collections of oustanding national and international importance.

The Bishop Cosin’s Library is still housed in its original building and, as an integral element of the World Heritage Site, has significance for the history of libraries and for ecclesiastical history both locally and nationally.

The Sudan Archive is indispensable to the study of the Sudan in the period of British administration. It is significant to British national life through its illustration of the impact of the colonial power on the country at many levels of administration.

The Special Collections at Palace Green Library also hold many other important national and regional collections, including:

Key artists and exhibits

Exhibition details are listed below, you may need to scroll down to see them all.

Exhibition (permanent)

Living on the Hills - 10,000 years of Durham

26 July 2014 — 26 July 2016 *on now

This permanent exhibition uses objects from Museum of Archaeology, alongside objects from across Durham University and other regional museums to explore the last 10,000 years of Durham.

In July 2014, Palace Green Library’s Wolfson Gallery will become the new home for displays from the Museum of Archaeology. This permanent exhibition uses objects from Museum of Archaeology, alongside objects from across Durham University and other regional museums to explore the last 10,000 years of Durham. Over the last few months, visitors to the Wolfson Gallery have been able preview a taster exhibition, unearthing the stories of how people have lived and worked in Durham for over 10,000 years.Living on the Hills investigates the lives of people who have lived and visited Durham through the tools and everyday objects they used, and the art and architecture they left behind to be rediscovered. Discover Prehistoric objects found by chance at the turn of the century, Roman objects uncovered by Victorian antiquarians and Medieval objects found during 1970s archaeological excavations. Included in the gallery is a community archaeology space which will showcase the work of local archaeology and history groups from across the region.

Suitable for

Any age

Exhibition (temporary)

Magna Carta and the Changing Face of Revolt

1 June — 31 August 2015 *on now

Magna Carta and the Changing Face of Revolt will take an original 1216 issue of the charter, on loan from Durham Cathedral, as a starting point for exploring the history of rebellion and revolt.The Magna Carta will be displayed alongside objects from Durham University’s collections and loans from other regional and national collections. Entry to the exhibition is by timed ticket and advance booking is recommended. Tickets are on sale via Ticketmaster online or telephone: 0844 844 0444. Tickets are also available to buy in person at Palace Green Library.

Suitable for

Any age

Admission

Adults: £7.50, Children (over 5) and concessions: £6.50, Infants (under 5; up to 2 per full paying adult): Free, Family (2 paying adults and 2 children): £25, Groups, of 9 or more: £6.50 per person

Website

Events details are listed below. You may need to scroll down or click on headers to see them all. For events that don't have a specific date see the 'Resources' tab above.

Guided tour

Torchlit Tales for Museums at Night

30 October 2015 6-8pm

Visitors will be taken on a journey through our galleries and into parts of the building not normally seen by the public so book early to make sure you don’t miss out!

Suitable for children under 12 and all young at heart adults. Please book your place in advance by emailing 4schools@durham.ac.uk

Suitable for

Family friendly

Admission

Free entry (advance booking required)

Guided tour

Creepy Durham Castle Tour

31 October 2015 4:15-5:30pm

The Creepy Durham Castle Tour is part of our Tours with a Difference series.

Durham Castle, once the seat of power for the Prince-Bishops, is now an Accredited Museum and home to University College, the founding college of Durham University. Because of its residential nature, access for the general public is via guided tour only. This offers visitors the opportunity to see some the hidden spaces and hear the stories of the people who have lived in Durham Castle for the last 900 years.

Suitable for

Family friendly

Where

Durham CastlePalace GreenDurhamCounty DurhamDH1 3RW

Services and facilities

Admission

Please book your tickets in advance at Palace Green Library, by telephone on +44 (0)191 334 2932 or by emailing castle.tours@durham.ac.uk.

Family Records Guide

This site contains links to our resources, guides and projects that are most likely to be useful for those undertaking family history and also local history research, or wanting to study individuals and families from the archives held by Durham University Library.

Publisher

Durham University Library Special Collections

Digital and online resources

North East Inheritance

The North East Inheritance project is creating of an online digital image catalogue of over 150,000 wills and related archives from across County Durham, Tyne and Wear and Northumberland. These will provide an invaluable insight into north-eastern people and communities, their family relationships, trades and lifestyles. The wills date from the 16th Century to the mid-19th Century and many are accompanied by inventories of the goods belonging to the deceased, bonds, accounts, and a variety of associated documents.

Publisher

Durham University Library Special Collections

Face to face resources

Remembering Slavery

A schools workshop that challenges students to think about the transatlantic slave trade and the impact that it has had. The session is based on printed, manuscript and pictoral sources from our collections but also makes use of our slavery-related handling collection and life-sized print of the slave ship Brookes. The session can take place at our Library or in school and can be adapted to suit any Key Stage.

Creator

Durham University Museums and Special Collections

How to obtain

Information about the session and supporting resources can be found on our website. Please contact 4schools@durham.ac.uk for further information.

Digital and online resources

Remembering Slavery

A collection of online resources which use printed and manuscript material to look at the history of the transatlantic slave trade. Included are a series of e-learning resources which are ready for use in the classroom; an online exhibition focusing on various aspects of the slave trade; and a number of resources designed for use on interactive whiteboards.

Creator

Durham University Museums and Special Collecions

Publisher

Durham University Library

Digital and online resources

Victorian Durham

An online resource looking at aspects of Victorian life with particular reference to Durham. It is accompanied by a specially designed walking trail for schools which takes pupils on a tour around the World Heritage Site on a quest for clues about the city's Victorian past.

Creator

Durham University Museums and Special Collections in collaboration with students on the MA Museum and Artefact Studies course

Publisher

Website

E-mail

Telephone

0191 334 2932

Fax

0191 334 2942

All information is drawn from or provided by the venues themselves and every effort is made to ensure it is correct. Please remember to double check opening hours with the venue concerned before making a special visit.